Laptop Driver Problems

HM_Shanker

Hello all.

I'm in possession of a Compaq Precasio CQ56 Notebook running WIndows Vista.

There seems to have been some kind of monumental mistake made with the drivers and many are not there and it can't connect to the internet to find new ones. I've found the HP Support site with all the individual drivers and had an unsuccessful attempt at updating the Wi-Fi one. The laptop will not reset to factory settings through the 'recovery' settings.

What I'm wondering is

A) If I was to install Ubuntu on the laptop would that come with it's own drivers, therefore making all the devices work

If not, could anyone point me in the direction of a copy of all the drivers and instructions of how to burn it to a disc/usb and update the drivers on the laptop.

Many thanks in advance for any help offered.

John_Gray

The HP website for the Compaq Presario CQ56-109WM Notebook PC doesn't appear to offer any drivers at all, even having selected the operating system: Windows, and the version: Windows 7. No other operating system is available!

There is a generic manual which talks about SuSE Linux.

Unfortunately that's all I can find...

I_have_spoken

running WIndows Vista.

Really? The laptop was produced from 2010, after Vista was dropped into favour of Windows 7 but could be bought more cheaply with Linux installed.

TBH, faffing with a 6 yo laptop isn't that much fun, you may be better spending £250 on a more recent model with Windows 10

Banging Linux Mint on it can't make things worse...

NiftyDigits

What is the full model number?

NiftyDigits

I_have_spoken wrote: »

Really? The laptop was produced from 2010, after Vista was dropped into favour of Windows 7 but could be bought more cheaply with Linux installed.

TBH, faffing with a 6 yo laptop isn't that much fun, you may be better spending £250 on a more recent model with Windows 10

Banging Linux Mint on it can't make things worse...

Really nonsense.....

If that is that best that you have to offer, you shouldn't be posting on a Tech forum.

jshm2

I've dealt with those before. The drivers can be a bit of a pain as it's from Compaq before HP took them over.

You can however use ethernet to get online and use Windows update to get some some generic drivers. For the rest you'll need to use Drivermax or Iobit Driver Booster to find the rest including the wireless driver.

HM_Shanker

Thanks for all your replies. It doesn't belong to me, someone who isn't technically minded at all asked me to look at it because he said it had a virus but obv it's more complex an issue than that!

The windows sticker underneath says it had windows 7 on it originally so I don't know how it's come to have vista. Also, I can't get it to connect by ethernet cable either.

I'm not sure where the model number is NiftyDigits, where would I find that? Thanks so much for taking the time to help.

NiftyDigits

HM_Shanker wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies. It doesn't belong to me, someone who isn't technically minded at all asked me to look at it because he said it had a virus but obv it's more complex an issue than that!

The windows sticker underneath says it had windows 7 on it originally so I don't know how it's come to have vista. Also, I can't get it to connect by ethernet cable either.

I'm not sure where the model number is NiftyDigits, where would I find that? Thanks so much for taking the time to help.

http://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c00004461

Robisere

Does the Windows sticker on the base have a COA? (licence number for Windows 7) If so, and it's legible, can you make out the characters and can you see which version of 7? (Home Premium, Basic, Pro, etc)

If you can decipher all that, and find a 7 DVD with the same version, you can reinstall Windows 7. have to go out now, but will come back to this tomorrow.

HM_Shanker

Could the model number be 584037-001? That's all I can find, can't get the other things to work!

Thanks so much Robisere. There is a product key and the version is just about readable as Windows 7 P**m OA

NiftyDigits

Can you check as to whether Windows 7 was pre-installed by running this SLIC Toolkit as Administrator.
You do so by downloading and saving the file to the laptop and then right clicking on the file and choosing 'Run As Administrator'.

Will look like this:



Post me a screenshot of the Advanced Tab.


To post a screenshot, you have to hit the Print Screen key, then click on the Paste tab in the Paint application. Then Save, upload to http://www.postimage.org/ and then paste the Direct link in a reply.

If you don't have Internet on the Compaq. Download the file on to a USB Flash drive and transfer the program to the laptop that way.